Some Good News
by Anzie
Summary: Remus Lupin has not had an easy life. Will unexpected events during the summer after Sirius's death help or only make his life more difficult? Read to find out! Ch. 6: Some Bad News
1. Memories

AN: Hi, this is my very first fic and thanks for clicking and checking it out. This was a plot bunny that got into my head after visiting JKR's new site and it would not leave me alone so I had to put it in print. Anyway, the main character is Remus and though a few original characters are in this first chapter, they have no lines and most do in fact exist in JKR's world but only because they must, so don't worry about Mary Sue's or too many OC's. This chapter also mostly focuses on the past, hence its name Memories, but the story is set in the summer after OotP with a few references to things gone by. So, w/o further ado, here is my fic, hope you enjoy.  
  
Remus Lupin collapsed onto the ancient worn armchair, closing his eyes with exhaustion. He had just experienced one of the most trying weeks of his life (and considering all that had happened to Remus Lupin, that was an extraordinary achievement). His best friend, Sirius Black, had just met an untimely end, leaving Remus with all his responsibilities, including the aptly named Grimmauld Place and the guardianship of one fifteen-year-old boy, Harry Potter. As part of his responsibility to Harry, Remus had threatened the boy's relatives only minutes before crashing into the chair, alone, tired and emotionally drained at Grimmauld Place.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Remus contemplated the situation he was now in. Over the years, Remus had learnt how to grieve for those lost because of Voldemort or his followers. Many of his closest friends and relatives had been killed by the Dark Lord or his supporters. In fact, Remus Lupin had the dubious distinction of being one of only a handful of wizards who had lived to see the Dark Mark glowing above their homes. It was nearly seventeen years ago to the day when Remus had returned to his parents' cottage after spending the night as a werewolf, locked in a nearby shed._He knew something was wrong when his mother didn't come to fetch him, as she usually did after the full moon. Remus soon found out the worst when he approached his childhood home to find the door wide open and a green snake and skull shimmering eerily above it in the early morning light.__ In shock, young Remus went into the house to find his father dead on the kitchen floor, dressed in his nightgown and cap with his eyes still opened and his face frozen in a mask of terror. Mr. Lupin's wand was in hand, proof he had fought the attack but to no avail. There wasn't a mark on the older man's body, and it became obvious that he had been killed by the deadliest Unforgivable.__ His hands shaking, Remus closed his father's eyes and tried to think rationally. His father wasn't the only one in the house that night, there were others to think about. Gathering his wits, Remus left the kitchen and headed into the parlor. What he found there only lead to more grief and desolation. His mother was lying on the floor in a pool of blood, with numerous gashes all over her body. It was obvious she had been killed by a slashing hex, a gruesome method of murder that caused the victim much pain before they eventually bled to death. Remus knelt down next to the woman who had loved and cared for him all his life. As she had done so many times for him, he wiped the blood from her cold face and his shoulders shook with sobs as he saw her beautiful face marred in death.__ Tears falling down his face, Remus leaned back and stood up, his knees nearly buckling in the process. He looked down at his hands and saw them to be now covered in his mother's blood, which he noticed was also splattered across the walls of their parlor. The reality of it all was finally settling in and the initial surprised shock wearing off. Remus had never considered himself to be overly squeamish, but the metallic smell of his mother's blood was overwhelming the room and making him quite nauseous. In a matter of seconds, Remus was bent over behind the sofa emptying his stomach.__ When he was through, Remus shakily tried to gather his thoughts once again. He went through the facts: his family had been attacked by Death Eaters, his father had been slain by the killing curse and was lying in the kitchen, his mother had bled to death in the parlor as a result of a slashing hex, and Remus himself was in a poor state. He knew he needed help, not only for the injuries he had sustained during his time as a werewolf but he was also in shock and couldn't stop shaking. And his sister. . . his sister . . .__ In all the horror of finding his parents dead, Remus had completely forgotten about his younger sister, who was also in the house. Not daring to get his hopes up, Remus approached her room, steeling himself against whatever state he might find her in. After seeing what had happened to his parents, Remus expected to find the girl also brutally murdered, but when he entered her room it was completely empty. To his untrained eye, absolutely nothing had been disturbed. Frowning, and forgetting for a moment about his parents, Remus wondered what could have become of his sister.__ Remus was very good at being rational and thinking things through, and thus he mechanically figured that his sister's body must be in one of the other rooms. A little voice in the back of his head said she could have escaped the Death Eater's attack and simply be hiding somewhere, but Remus did not allow that irrational voice to take control. His entire family was dead and he knew it. Nobody escaped the Death Eaters. But as he searched every other room in the house and found them all to be empty, that sanguine voice became louder.__ Eventually Remus found himself back in the bloodied parlor with his mother's body, his search yielding nothing. He ran a hand through his mussed hair not knowing what to do next. Again he examined the facts: his parents had been murdered, his sister was missing, and he was in bad shape and didn't know what to do about it. As he stared off, Remus's eyes landed on the answer to his dilemma: the fireplace. More specifically, he remembered the Floo Network and realized that he ought to call someone. Careful of his mother's prone form, Remus strode to the fireplace and made a call to the first person that came to mind: his best friend Sirius Black.__ "Oi Remus, what the hell are you doing, calling at six in the morning?" said a disheveled Sirius Black as his head appeared amongst the flames. He looked quite angry and it appeared as though he had slept less than Remus. For a moment, part of Remus just wanted to apologize and tell his friend to go back to sleep, for Remus hated angering people and had a great desire to keep everyone happy. But then the rational part of Remus spoke up and said he had a bloody good reason for awaking Sirius and that the young man would understand and in fact be quite helpful.__ "I-I, er, I . . . " Remus trailed off shakily, not knowing what to say. "Some-something's happened," he managed to stutter, not looking his friend in the eye. Instead, Remus's gaze wandered to his hands, covered with blood that was not his own.__ "What's happened Remus?" asked Sirius, a new sense of urgency and worry in his voice, though it was more of a firm worry than a panicked one. Apparently, Remus's quaking voice and odd behavior had woken him up and alerted him that all was not well with his friend. "Remus," Sirius said again after a few seconds of silence, "answer me."__ "My mum and my dad," Remus began feebly, "they - they're . . . The Death Eaters - they c-came, and Mum and Dad were - were . . . and I - I was out in the shed, 'cause you know, and . . . now Mum and Dad are gone . . . and I've got blood on my hands, Sirius. And, I don't - I don't know what to do . . . and c-could you help, please?"__ "Yeah, yeah of course Remus," said Sirius, looking down and frowning as if deciding what to do. "Just step back and I'll come through the Floo."__ Remus did as instructed and in a matter of moments Sirius was in his living room, dressed in his pajamas and looking rather sooty. At the sight of Remus's dead and mutilated mother, the young animagus lost all color in his face and looked for a moment as though he too would be sick. After a moment, however, Sirius seemed to have gathered his senses and turned to his traumatized friend.__ "Death Eaters, you said?"__ "Yes, the Mark's above the house," gulped Remus as he closed his eyes and tried to speak sensibly. "Dad's in the kitchen, I'm fairly sure he was Avada Kedavra'd. He has his wand in his hand . . . You see what happened to Mum . . . And I can't find my sister. I looked everywhere I could think, Sirius, and I know she's dead but I just can't find her!" _

_At this point Remus broke down and began to sob vigorously. Sirius embraced his friend and muttered a few soothing words, though in truth he had no idea how to comfort Remus, and was just as scared and unsure as the werewolf. But Sirius Black was not the type show his fear or uncertainty, so, after Remus calmed a bit, he took charge._

_ "First off," ordered Sirius in what he hoped was a confident voice, "let's clean you up and get some clothes on you."__ Truly, Remus was quite a mess and quite naked too. His face was marred with exhaustion and grief, his hands were caked in stiff, brown blood, his body was covered in dirt from the previous night and he was sporting a few gashes and bruises of his own, courtesy of the wolf's anger. Also, at that moment Remus was 'wearing' a moldy (and now bloodied) horse blanket that he had found outside his shed and had been using to keep himself warm.__ Sirius helpfully directed his friend to the bathroom, where Remus washed most of the blood and grime off quickly before Sirius returned with a set of robes and undergarments. When he brought the clothes to Remus, Sirius explained that he had Flooed the Ministry and Aurors and mediwizards would be here shortly. Sirius also said that they had instructed him to 'vacate the premises' so as not to disturb or contaminate any evidence. Remus did as he was told, silently leaving his home and parents. The day was inappropriately beautiful, with the sun now shining so brightly the Dark Mark could barely be seen.__ The Aurors arrived quickly, apparating onto the front lawn with loud cracks. They shouted instructions at one another, and had their wands ready to strike at the slightest provocation, but Remus barely noticed any of this. A few mediwizards and witches began to arrive as well, as soon as it was determined that the home was secured. One of them, a young and pretty witch in blinding white robes and a square-ish red cap approached Remus and Sirius, smiling in a pitying manner.__ "Hello, were you the ones who called?" she asked in sweet voice that made Remus want to cringe. He made no suggestion that he'd heard her, so Sirius was forced to answer. He also explained all that he knew and the witch nodded solemnly, diagnosing Remus with shock and declaring that a calming potion would greatly help him. "Do you have any allergies, Mr. Lupin?" She asked as she removed a scarlet potion from her medicine bag. Again Remus didn't answer, nor did he really hear her request.__ "Monkshood," said Sirius with a worried glance at his friend. Remus had stopped shaking and crying a while ago, but this silence caused Sirius greater fear for his friend.__ "This won't hurt then," said the mediwitch, as she moved the vile up to Remus's lips and with expert instructions got him to drink it. After a few coughs, Remus felt much more relaxed and Sirius was quite relieved.__ "Gideon, he's all ready for you," the witch called and an Auror who had been standing on the Lupin's front step made his way to the pair.__ "Hello," he said politely and without the pitying manner of the mediwitch, "my name's Gideon Prewett and I'm an Auror from the Ministry of Magic." He then quickly flashed a badge bearing the proud crest of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Remus and Sirius also recognized him as a member of the Order of the Phoenix, though neither knew him very well, as he was much older than the pair and often could not attend meetings due to Auror business.__ "I must ask you a few questions for the record, all right?" He then conjured out a blue quill and a pocket-sized scroll of parchment. Remus and Sirius both nodded after glancing at each other. "First off, your names please."__ Both answered shortly and a flash of recognition showed in Prewett's eyes. He obviously remembered their names from the Order, but didn't mention anything.__ "Okay, Mr. Lupin could you recall the events of this morning?"__ With a sigh Remus recalled the horrifying and gruesome events of the past few hours. He even included the information about his lycanthropy, something he doubted he would have done had he not been under the influence of a calming potion. Throughout Remus's soliloquy, Prewett scribbled on his parchment hurriedly, jotting down everything Remus said. After he had finished, there were a few moments of silence as the Auror chewed on the tip of his quill in thought.__ "Now you haven't found any trace of your sister, is that correct?" he eventually said and Remus nodded in affirmation. "And you're certain she was here last night?" Again Remus nodded.__ "All right," said Prewett with a tired sigh. It appeared that no matter how battle-hardened an Auror became, they were still sapped by all the emotional strain of their business. "We are going to declare your sister a missing person for now. That means there will be an advert thing in the papers and the WWN will run the information during its news hours. Possibly, we'll alert the Muggles as well. But first, I need a description of her from you. Can you do this for me, Mr. Lupin?"__ "Yes," said Remus quietly, but he needed a minute to gather himself and think of his sister. After spending some time in though, Remus finally began to speak, articulately and plainly. "Her name is Roberta Anne Lupin, but she goes by Bertie. She's fourteen, nearly fifteen her birthday's in two weeks. Her hair's the same color as mine, but she wears it long and usually she has the front bit pulled back, you know. And her eye's are blue, like my mum's." Here Remus stopped and it appeared that the calming potion was wearing off, as images of his mother's bloodied face flashed through his head. Prewett, however, realized what was happening and quickly got the conversation back on track.__ "What about her height, weight things like that?" he asked, bringing Remus back to the matter at hand.__ "I don't really know . . . She's about five four, I'd say, maybe one hundred and five, one hundred and ten pounds. She's not very big," he said lamely, for he had never really thought of things like that. Remus racked his brain for anything else that might help them find his sister, as the voice that had been proclaiming her vitality was now at the forefront of his mind. "Oh and she's a Muggle!"__ "A Muggle?" Prewett repeated confusedly.__ "Yes like my mum," explained Remus calmly. Though his father was from a long line of Purebloods, he had scandalized the family when he had married Remus's mother, a Muggle girl from a farm in Devonshire. Though Remus had been born a wizard, his younger sister was without magical powers.__ "Well, that sounds like we have everything we need," declared Prewett, putting away his quill and scroll. "If you could provide us with a picture, we'll have it posted in all the papers. And we'll definitely inform the Muggles."__ "Yes, yes of course," said Remus. After a pause he asked, "Do you think there's any chance you'll find her?"__ Prewett looked down at his boots and sighed angrily, "I promise you, kid, we'll do all in our power to find her. But it is not uncommon for the Death Eaters to wipe people off the face of the earth and your sister being a Muggle complicates things. I'll be honest with you, Remus, it's highly unlikely your sister will be alive if we find her, so prepare yourself for the worst. I'm sorry for your losses."_And that was the last Remus heard of his sister. Though he knew Gideon had searched tirelessly, nothing had turned up and finally Remus gave up hope and had a headstone placed in her memory next to that of their parents. She was just one of the many people killed during Voldemort's first war, and indeed one of many people Remus had lost over the years. Remus bowed his head in memory of her, his parents, Sirius and everyone else who had lost their lives to evil.The silence of the house was broken as a squawking sounded downstairs and the portrait of Mrs. Black began to shriek profanities about insolent birds. With a groan, Remus sat up knowing that an owl had arrived and been caught in one of the many protection charms guarding Grimmauld Place. Little did he know that as he went to free the owl, he was about to receive news he had been waiting nearly seventeen years for.AN: So, what'd you think? Click on that blue-ish button down there and let me know! This is my first fic, so constructive criticism is appreciated. And as of now, I haven't a beta, so if anyone would like to volunteer you'd be much appreciated as well. Just so you know, I have this story all planned out and will continue with regular updates (though these updates might occur faster if you click that little blue button and type UPDATE SOON!!!!!!!!, in an encouraging fashion ;) ), whether I get a decent amount of review or not, simply because this plot bunny will kill me if I don't. Thanks for readin! 


	2. Files

AN: Well a big thanks to my reviewers so far. You are awesome and I really wasn't expecting any reviews, given my extremely lame title and summary.

Lucidity– I've read some of your fics! Unfortunately, Remus does not meet up with his sister in this chapter. Though she is central to the plot, I must admit she doesn't have a very active role in this fic (it's Remus-centric, or tries to be), as I'm not very good at writing original characters. (hence why I'm stealing JKR's. Ooops, that reminds me. . .)

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, except for Roberta Lupin, and she's not much more than a name. Anything you recognize does not belong to me, but to JKR. Now, back to more pleasant things: Reviewer Responses!

Please don't notice the title. I was hoping everyone was like me and didn't bother overmuch with titles and thus I picked an excessively lame one. Oh well... And you said I write well!! Yea! You are super, thank you so much for saying that.

Pallas- I hope you like this too, and I'm glad you found the first bit interesting. Thanks for taking the time to review.

Kuutamo- Hanging onto my every word? Gulp I'm going to go through and rewrite some bits now, knowing that. I hope you like it.

In this installment the plot, like gravy, thickens (this is the title to a very bad play, I would give props to the author, but I'm too lazy to Google, so there you go). Again, I'd like to thank JKR's revamped site for giving me an incorrigible plot bunny, which quite literally hopped in my head with its huge bunny feet until I joined FFN, and typed out the first chapter of this fic at three o'clock in the morning. It's kind of weird and I've never read anything similar, so I don't know what you'd expect from the first bit, but you probably won't get that here, so I'm kind of original. Whatever, I'm rambling now, and anyone who has seen this has probably skipped right over it and to the actual story, so I'll stop now. :)

Following the distressed cries of the bird, Remus found the owl flapping wildly in a magical net by the back window of the Blacks' old library. With a simple incantation, he freed the panicked owl and detached the note from her leg before she flew off with an indignant hoot.

Shaking his head, Remus examined the letter. To his surprise, it was addressed to him and written with Dumbledore's unmistakable enchanted green script. Curious, he broke the seal and began to read.

Remus,

Your presence is required at the Ministry today, as soon as you are able to leave. Please apparate to the office of Arthur Weasley and you will find out more there. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

Remus was immediately confused by the message. What could possibly be going on in Arthur Weasley's department that required his presence? Did someone curse a coffee-maker, or something? He really couldn't imagine what Dumbledore would be doing there, either, but decided he ought to do as the letter instructed and apparate over right away.

With a crack, Remus landed painfully near the corner of one of the desks in Mr. Weasley's office, banging his knee against the sharp edge.

"Ah, Remus, good you got the owl," said Arthur Weasley distractedly as he shuffled through some paper airplanes on his desk. Remus ceased rubbing his knee and looked about the cramped office. He had been here once before, when Arthur had insisted he see a set of headphones he'd been given, but today the office was looking much more disorderly than usual, as was its occupant. Paper and parchment littered the floor and there appeared to be a few scorch marks on the carpet, most likely left from Howlers. Arthur seemed worse for wear as well; his robes were wrinkled, as if he'd slept in them, and his eyes were bloodshot behind his spectacles. He also looked terribly busy, not bothering to glance at Remus from the parchment he was reading, nor did he say a word to his guest for a few minutes as he scribbled a note and sent a paper airplane whizzing out of the office.

"Sorry about that," he said with an exhausted sigh and rose from his place to shake Remus's hand. "We're awfully busy, you know. They're revamping the entire place and a whole new administration's been brought in. Fudge is out, you know. The ICW had a fit when they found he'd been covering up about You-Know-Who's return. They've kicked him and all of his cronies out, and that means literally dozens of Ministry workers. He and a few others are under investigation now. The ICW's not too happy about the level of Death Eaters working for the Ministry, and Fudge is going to take the fall. Anyway, because of this, a lot of us are having to pick up the slack. That's why I'm so busy. I've been working for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, going through some old files of theirs." He gestured to the messy floor, indicating the pieces of parchment strewn about the place.

" Apparently, Fudge and others helped some of the pardoned Death Eaters, you know Malfoy and the like, make their documented crimes disappear and so now I'm sorting all that out. You know, helping build bigger cases against the ones we've got now and those who helped them escape the first time."

Remus nodded to show he understood. He'd read in the _Prophet _that the International Confederation of Wizards (or ICW, as Mr. Weasley called them), had forced Fudge and many others out of office and was currently controlling most of the British Ministry in addition to building cases against the recently captured Death Eaters and dishonorable officials. Apparently, corruption ran deep in the British Ministry of Magic, and many furious editorials had been published about the subject over the past week.

"Yes, well you see, that's what I need to talk to you about," Arthur continued at a rapid pace but Remus couldn't possibly imagine how he was involved in any this. For a split second, he thought they might suspect him of being a Death Eater, just as they had years ago, but he quickly pushed that thought from his head. "And Dumbledore too. I owled him first, asking what I should do about all this and I believe he owled you, yes? Well, anyway, he suggested I simply speak with you bluntly. Now, let me see, where did I put that file . . . " the beleaguered wizard bent over and searched his parchment-covered desk and floor. After a moment, he popped up again, with a nondescript yellowed file in hand.

"Here it is!" he announced, triumphantly holding the thick folder of papers above his head. As he turned it around, Remus could see 'Case Closed' printed in angry red letters across the front.

"They had a time getting this one open. Number of curses and sealing charms on it. Some nasty Dark Magic too, not that it should surprise anyone, considering. And then I had to send it back because some of the documents themselves had been written with disappearing ink and whatnot, but they've got it all sorted out now. Here, have a look."

He handed Remus the file, opening it to reveal a sight Remus had not expected to see. The first thing that caught his eye was the photo paper clipped to the right corner of an official looking document. It was his sister's picture; the same photo he had given to Gideon Prewett seventeen years ago.

"What's all this?" he asked as he stared at the still school picture of his sister, forever frozen in that moment. Remus met Arthur's eyes and saw that the older man's face had become quite serious.

"It's your sister's case file, I believe. See," he said and pointed to a name printed in faded blue ink at the top of the document, which Remus now recognized to be a missing person's form, "Roberta Anne Lupin. Your sister. This is the form Gideon filled out when you reported her missing – see there's his signature. Now these," Arthur flipped past a few pieces of old parchment, "are things you know about. The stuff you told Gideon, the reports on your parents, etc. Nothing too suspicious. But here," Arthur turned to a piece of parchment with a different photo clipped to it. This photo, however, was magical, and the man in it sneered nastily at Remus whilst holding up a serial number. "Here is what I needed to speak to you about."

"What's this doing in my sister's file?" Remus asked, thoroughly confused. He didn't recognize the man in the photo, and couldn't fathom what he had to do with his sister. The man looked to be in his fifties or sixties (though it was harder to tell with wizards), and he was apparently under arrest, as indicated by the serial number. The photo itself looked to have been taken years ago, as it was in black and white and some of the magic appeared to have worn off, preventing the man from moving much.

.

"That's the wrap sheet of Thaddeus Nott. His _actual _wrap sheet, not the one they have on public file. That one just has that he was acquitted of any crime. This one has the original Auror report on his case and arrest – and some confessions. Apparently, the Aurors and others were bribed or threatened or whatever to get rid of this file. Nott was in well with Fudge, you know, and got off. But these bits of evidence were never presented to the courts."

"I still don't understand what this has to do with my sister. Did they just put his file in with hers so nobody would find it?"

"No, it has to do with your sister," said Arthur slowly, looking as though he didn't really want to say anything. "Basically, when the Aurors raided Nott's house, it says here, they found your sister."

Arthur paused for a moment to let this information sink in. Remus stared off in shock, not believing what he had been told, then he looked at the report. He read the Auror's report, hand written in a dark green scrawl. It outlined how they had apprehended Mr. Nott in December of 1981 and in his custody found a Muggle girl identified as Roberta Lupin. It said nothing more of Remus's sister, and he looked at Arthur for further explanation.

"If you'll turn to the next page, you'll see the bargain Nott struck with Fudge and Crouch," Arthur continued with a new hint of gravity in his voice. Remus turned to the next piece of parchment to find the agreement with the three men's signatures at the bottom. He tried to read the document, but there was a lot of legalese and, not being a solicitor, Remus again asked Arthur for help.

"To give you the short of it, it says Nott would give the locations of Dolohov, Jugsen, and Karkaroff in exchange for his acquittal. In addition, Nott would give witness against them so long as he was allowed to officially marry your sister, and any mention of her whereabouts kept secret."

"What?!" was all Remus could say as his jaw dropped. The Ministry didn't do things like that did they? They didn't use people as bargaining chips. Even Fudge wouldn't stoop that low. And his sister . . . She was just a kid, they couldn't . . . And why would he want to marry her? She was a Muggle, what did Nott care? None of this made any sense.

"Yes, the Ministry okayed it," answered Arthur with a look of disgust. "The certificate's next, your sister's not named properly, just Roberta. I expect they did that in case anything got out."

"But why?" asked Remus bewilderedly. "I suppose I can understand why he kidnaped her and held her prisoner and all," here Remus paused and gulped as he tried not to think of all that his sister had suffered, "but why _marry _her? Was he really that obsessed?"

"Maybe," said Arthur, taking off his glasses and cleaning them on his robes, "the Death Eaters are bunch of psychopaths. I've stopped trying to understand their actions. But there is a more . . . understandable reason for Nott marrying your sister. Apparently, he needed to legitimize his son."

"Son?" Remus suddenly felt as though he was going to be sick. As if murdering his parents wasn't enough, they had to . . . to do this to his sister. And then the Ministry had helped this sick bastard. And now some Death Eater's kid was running around because of it. And it was his sister's kid too, his _nephew_. A million questions flooded Remus's mind and he took a much needed seat on the top of Arthur's cluttered desk.

"Are you going to be all right, Remus?" asked Arthur in a fatherly manner, putting his hand on Remus's shoulder.

"Yes, yes. I'll be fine, thank you. It's just such a shock," Remus replied, uttering one of the largest understatements of the year. He was more that just shocked. He couldn't believe all this was happening after seventeen years. For that entire time he had believed his sister had simply been killed and her body not found, and though that was a horrible situation to cope with, this was definitely worse.

"Of course. But I have more to tell you," Remus braced himself. What else could there possibly be? "Nott married her, we think, because it gave him full rights over his son. Meaning, if you or anybody else ever found out you wouldn't have any legal right to take the boy away. His birth certificate's next, by the way. I believe you even taught him at Hogwarts. Do you recall a Theodore Nott?"

Remus looked at the name emblazoned horizontally across the next parchment. It read 'Theodore John Nott'. His birthday was February 12, 1981. Only two days after their mother's birthday, Remus though absentmindedly. Thaddeus Nott's name was on the bottom of the page, but there was no sign of Bertie's. Under 'mother' the only word listed was 'Muggle' and Remus remembered that, as far as wizarding records were concerned, Muggles didn't really merit mentioning.

That birthday would put the boy in Harry's year, and Remus racked his brain trying to recall that one name out of the hundreds he had taught two years ago. All he could remember was the boy's name, sloppily written atop a rather good essay about vampires. He couldn't even recall the child's boggart.

"No, not really," said Remus finally, and he ran his hand through his greying hair in frustration. "Is there anything more?"

"Yes, unfortunately," Arthur took the file from Remus and closed it. "You know we've captured Nott in the battle in the Department of Mysteries?"

Remus nodded and closed his eyes, trying not to think of Sirius and all the horrible memories that night awoke.

"He's in very bad shape," Arthur continued in an irritatingly official voice. "But they've managed to question him some, and he's given some new information. We've asked about your sister, after finding this file, and he just said that we'll never find her. Kingsley expects we'll get more out of the boy, and so does our spy. We've got a very good case against him as it is. But we would like to convict of the crimes against your sister as well. The ICW's adamant about doing things right this time, and your sister deserves justice."

"Thanks for telling me all of this, Arthur," said Remus standing up. "But I've got a feeling there's more that you want from me."

"Yes, sorry there is. What we have right now on Nott would get him five years in Azkaban," Remus opened his mouth to protest this forcefully, but Arthur stopped him. "Though we doubt he'll ever be able to aid You-Know-Who again because of his injuries, we want to put him away for a long time. We've got information about what he did to your sister, but it's all inadmissable in court. Our spy's heard some things, and we have that original Auror's report, but neither of those could be used in his trial. We need the boy, as physical evidence that his mother is Roberta Lupin and possibly his own testimony against his father. Our spy is very hopeful that he will cooperate and help us convict Nott. We also need to find out what exactly happened to your sister. Nott seemed to imply that she was dead, but we don't know anything for sure, and the boy can help us find out."

Remus quickly squashed that hopeful voice in his head that emphatically shouted that his sister could be alive. He rationalized that his sister was most likely dead and had been for some time, but that voice countered that she had been alive less than fifteen years ago, she could just as easily be alive today. Trying to concentrate on something else, Remus figured that he still didn't know what they wanted him to do (and he knew he was about to be asked to do _something_) and he needed to find out.

"So what do you want from me," he tried again, hoping that now Arthur would get to the heart of the matter.

"There's just one problem with that plan: we don't know where Theodore Nott is," Arthur had the decency to look embarrassed about this, though he had nothing to do with it. Remus now had the distinct feeling he was about to be asked to go on a wild goose chase in search of the boy, something he didn't particularly want to do.

"According to Snape, he was planning to go home with Draco Malfoy, but our information tells us he's not there. Nor is he at the Nott residence. We know he's somewhere in London, as we are certain he boarded the train. We just don't know where, exactly."

"And you want me to look for him, right?" put in Remus with a twinge of annoyance in his voice. It wasn't his job to scour London for errant teenagers. The Ministry had people to that.

"Not exactly, though your help has been asked as a member of the Order," Arthur said, surprising Remus by not expressly affirming his suspicions. "It shouldn't be too hard to find him. Our spy already has an idea of where he might be and we've sent out some officials from Magical Law Enforcement to find him. He can't have gone far in less than twenty-four hours. We really need you for _after _they find him. The Department of Magical Families and Children's Welfare, which has been taken over by the ICW, by the way and is running much more smoothly, has declared you to be his guardian. They're really working quite efficiently. You should receive an owl shortly about the matter. At any rate, after they find him, we'll need you to explain things and hopefully you'll be able to persuade him to tell all he knows. I'd suggest you speak with Severus. He knows a good deal more about this."

"Yes, of course," said Remus in a detached manner. His thoughts were all befuddled and mangled; he had no idea what to do with all the information Arthur had given him. Nor was Remus dealing well with the shock of it all, and the only thing that came to mind was, "I can't have custody of him, I'm a werewolf."

As part of the Ministry's outdated code on werewolves, Remus was expressly forbidden from adopting children, or having any non-biological child in his custody (it was also a tricky matter for a werewolf to be allowed custody of their _own _child, but there's the Ministry for you). But Arthur had an explanation for this turn of events as well.

"The ICW's suspended those laws, for the most part. They're using the international agreements about werewolves, which I'm sure you know are a bit more tolerant. Anyway, the witch who's organized all this reviewed your file and declared you fit for trial parenting and said that your lycanthropy was practically an nonissue."

"Oh," muttered Remus, a little dumbfounded. He was in too great a shock at the moment, to appreciate all the implications of having the Ministry's regulations nullified. Millions of thoughts and possibilities whirled about his brain in such a tremendous speed and volume that he couldn't sort anything out properly. "So, what should I do now?"

"Go to Hogwarts, get a good meal in you, and speak with Snape if he's there. We'll contact you if anything turns up here," Arthur instructed helpfully, putting his hand on Remus's shoulder in a consoling manner. "I'll see you later."

"Yes, thank you, Arthur," Remus managed to mumble before he apparated back to Grimmauld Place, wondering if this day could have been any more trying.

AN: There you have it. Chapter two. Tell me what you think, constructive criticism is welcomed, but I warn you my plot bunny will likely ignore it (little devil that he is). I still don't have a beta, so if anyone out there is dying to check my grammar, wording, etc. (any aspiring English teachers reading?), you are welcomed to help. I know I'd love to check over somebody's bad writing (sarcasm ending now). If anyone has any title or summary suggestions, they would most definitely be appreciated, because I'm rather unsatisfied with both. Review please!! Thanks for reading!!


	3. Tea with Dumbledore

AN: Wow, three more people reviewed this story!! I'm so happy about that, and you were all so positive :). So here are your individual responses:  
  
Alice Dodgson-- Thank you so much, I'm really glad you like it so far, and hope you enjoy this chapter too. I don't know why there aren't more stories about Remus's family, he obviously had one, and it's a safer bet than not that he did have some siblings. He's just never struck me as an only child, you know? At any rate, it's good to know my idea's semi- original.  
  
Lucidity Thanks for continuing with this fic. Theodore Nott isn't much more than a name in the books, but given the info about him on JKR's site (maybe you shouldn't read that, as it might spoil this story a bit, but oh well) and combining that with the end of OotP, I figured he must have had a rather difficult summer and then the idea of relating it all to Remus came to my mind (somehow, I really don't know shakes head in annoyance), so there you have my fic. I like Sev too, and he'll make a physical appearance in this chapter. My title just doesn't strike me as very clever and for that I don't like it. I'll probably come up with a really good one after I've finished the story :). And yes, you'll find out what happened to Roberta, if you keep reading hint hint.  
  
Moony Lover Glad you found it interesting. I'll try to e-mail you, but I don't know if I'll always remember. You could put me on your author alert, I think that's supposed to send out an email or something. As for Remus's parenting duties, I don't know if I wrote it out clearly (probably not), but he's inherited Sirius's guardianship of Harry and I interpret that to be no actual custody (unfortunately, that's still the Dursleys' responsibility), but just in general being there like Sirius was (I think as far as actual parenting goes, Harry's grown so close to the Weasleys, that he would be more likely to see them as his parental figures rather than Remus or Sirius). As for his nephew, the Ministry, under control of the ICW, has given Remus temporary custody, meaning Remus is his main care giver, if you will. But that's only on a trial basis for now, they'll be reviewing the case later on to see if he'll stay with Remus. Hope that clears things up a bit. Now onto the fic!  
  
Remus got his answer that evening when he Flooed into Dumbledore's office in Hogwarts. As he brushed the soot from his robes, he noticed that Dumbledore appeared to be having some tea with Minerva McGonagall. Both looked rather fatigued, and Remus suspected they hadn't been discussing school matters.  
  
Despite this, Dumbledore greeted his former student warmly, "Ah, Remus, I've been expecting you. Please, come have a seat and join us," as he said this a cushy purple chair appeared with a wave of his wand. Remus sat down with a few mumbled words of greeting to Minerva and Dumbledore.  
  
"You look as though you could use a good meal, Remus," commented Dumbledore, concern in his voice. Remus, however, declined the offer. Although he hadn't eaten since breakfast, he wasn't very hungry and, after the day's news, his stomach felt as though it were twisted into several elaborate knots. But Albus Dumbledore was not someone to be deterred, and eventually Remus had a cup of very hot tea in his hands.

"I expect you're here to speak with Severus, no?" asked the headmaster knowingly. Remus merely nodded as he sipped his tea. "He is coming down the corridor as we speak, so he'll arrive in a few moments."  
  
Remus didn't bother speculating on how Dumbledore knew his Potions Master's exact location. Some questions were best left unanswered. Sure enough, in less than a minute Snape was swooping about in the office, his robes billowing menacingly behind him.  
  
"Good evening, Severus," said Dumbledore, smiling widely at the black- clad man. "Would you like some tee?"  
  
Snape declined the offer and looked as though he was trying desperately not to glower at the headmaster.  
  
"I believe you wanted me to speak with Lupin regarding young Mr. Nott, is that not correct?" When he said Remus's name, he gave the werewolf a nasty look, which Remus casually ignored.  
  
"Yes, if you would please, Severus," replied Dumbledore, not missing a beat. "And do have a seat."  
  
A comfy-looking green armchair appeared at the table. Snape sat down, but not before giving the offending chair a withering glare. Remus swore the man couldn't stand anything remotely pleasant looking.  
  
"Theodore Nott, as you know by now, is your nephew," began Snape in a neutral voice, getting right down to business. He wouldn't meet Remus's eye, but stared at the wall behind Lupin as he spoke.  
  
"I've known his father for years, but only recently found out that his wife was in fact your sister." Snape paused for a moment, and to Remus's surprise looked a bit guilty and saddened by this fact. In all truthfulness, Remus had thought it impossible for his former school mate to look anything other than angry and annoyed. But the next words out of Snape's mouth stunned him even more.  
  
"I met her once, you know," he said slowly, his face becoming the slightest bit softer, "just before the war ended, at Theodore's first birthday celebration. Had I known, I would have done something for her. For what it's worth, Lupin, she appeared to be healthy and happy, but considering all the Dark Magic Nott knows, that could have been an illusion. I'm sorry."  
  
Remus knew this was as close as Snape got to comforting anyone, and the apology in and of itself was astounding, considering the Slytherin usually didn't apologize even when he was at fault. In this instance, Remus did not believe the man could have done anything more, and felt there was no need for an apology. He told Snape this, but the man brushed him off quickly with a wave of his hand and continued to address the matter at hand."Over the years, I've kept in contact with Nott, though not as closely as I would have liked. We did not consider him to be a great enough threat to warrant my keeping in touch with the family, such as I have with the Malfoys, Goyles, and Crabbes. But, through my other contacts with former Death Eaters I have been able to glean some information about Nott, Sr. and his family.  
  
"There has always been gossip regarding Mrs. Nott. She was rumored among the Pureblood community to be a Squib, and you can imagine the scandal regarding that. There was also quite a bit of outrage regarding the age difference between her and Nott even the Death Eaters have their standards. But, more importantly, I have it on good authority that her memory had been modified. It was just an idle drunken comment from Lucius Malfoy about Nott being good with memory charms, one only needed to look at his wife. But considering what we know now, that leads me to speculate Nott used a powerful memory charm on her and just went from there.  
  
"As to where Theodore comes into the equation, I'll explain that now. I know he and his father aren't close. And I believe that their relationship has turned violent at times; though I have no hard evidence of this, just instinct, which apparently is not enough to warrant even an inquiry," as Snape said this his gaze turned to Dumbledore and Remus easily determined the underlying message of this statement. Snape had wished for something to be done on the boy's behalf and, to his vexation, the headmaster had not allowed it. However, Remus was most awed by Snape's gall in openly challenging Dumbledore's decision, something few wizards had the gumption to do.  
  
"Given all this, it is reasonable to assume that, with some encouragement, Theodore would testify against his father. He also is the most likely person to know what has happened to his mother. For the past five years or so, Nott, Sr. has been telling people his wife died in a broom flying accident, and no one else has suggested otherwise. But given her status as a Muggle, this is obviously a lie. Alive or dead, the only person other than Thaddeus Nott who could possibly know of your sister's fate, Lupin, is Theodore Nott."  
  
There really wasn't a lot of new information in Snape's speech, Remus thought as he took a sip from his now lukewarm tea. Essentially, his missing teenage nephew was the key to his sister's case, and that thought didn't sit well with Remus. The only piece of potentially useful information Snape had given him was that Bertie had possibly had her memory illegally modified. Well, that could a year or two to Nott's sentence, but it was improbable they'd be able to prove anything. Until they found Theodore Nott, there wasn't much Remus or anyone else could do.  
  
"So," said Remus putting his teacup on the table, "what should I be doing? Should I go out and look for Theodore Nott?"  
  
"You could if you like," Dumbledore answered him softly, "but we do have that under control. As I'm sure Arthur told you, experts in this area are out looking for him now. It is very difficult for an underage wizard to hide from the officials for long. They'll likely find him by tomorrow, so you needn't worry about that."  
  
"Well," replied Remus, feeling a bit useless and wanting to do something that might help his sister, "what about after he's found? What should I do then?"  
  
"Take him home, of course," said Dumbledore simply. "After you introduce yourself, that is."  
  
Remus, who had become used to Dumbledore's puzzling answers over the years, was about to ask for more detail when Snape, obviously losing his patience with the headmaster, spoke before Remus could even open his mouth.  
  
"You are supposed to gain his trust, and thus give him reason to help you and your sister," snapped the irritable man whilst sighing in an exasperated manner, as if he were surrounded by incompetents. "How you do this, Lupin, is up to you. It shouldn't be too difficult, just get out some old photos and some particularly heart wrenching memories of the boy's mother and you'll likely win him over. Just do what you do with Potter and you should be fine"  
  
Remus didn't respond to Snape's caustic and somewhat rude advice, instead focusing on the idea of becoming a guardian to a boy he didn't even know. To be completely honest, Remus didn't know what to expect, and the fact that his sister's case relied on his successfully befriending the boy only made the situation more intimidating. As if reading the former professor's thoughts, Dumbledore reassured him.  
  
"We wouldn't ask this of you, Remus, if we didn't think you were capable of it," the headmaster said, as he stood up and magically cleared the small table of the now empty tea cups and flatware. "I know that you and Theodore will bring justice to Thaddeus Nott."  
  
Minerva, who had been silent during the entire exchange, also tried to give Remus greater confidence, "I think you will find Theodore to be a very agreeable boy," she said in a maternalistic voice. "I find that the two of you are much alike, and now that I think of it, he reminds me of you in many ways."  
  
"That's nice," murmured Remus with a melancholy smile. He was still unsure of the whole matter, but it was pleasant to hear words of encouragement from his two former colleagues, and he appreciated their attempts.  
  
"Headmaster," said Snape, breaking the silence that had settled in the room for several seconds, "it is getting late and I really must leave. I have several potions to brew for the infirmary, and would like to get them started tonight."  
  
"Yes, of course, Severus," Dumbledore said, smiling brightly at the man. "Thank you for all your help this evening. Good night."  
  
"Good night Headmaster, Professor McGonagall," Snape then stalked out of the office, not bothering to utter a word to Remus, though he didn't mind the Potions Master's rudeness, and in fact had expected it.  
  
With a weary sigh, Remus looked at his watch and realized that it was well past midnight. He suddenly felt very tired (and who could blame him, after all that had happened in only one day?), and politely said his farewells to Albus and Minerva before Flooing back to an eerily silent Grimmauld place.  
  
Though he was exhausted, Remus could not find sleep that night. For hours, he lay awake, staring at the ceiling and trying to relax his mind. Eventually, the need for rest overwhelmed his thoughts, and Remus fell into a deep sleep.  
  
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, really, JKR owns all the characters, setting, world, and anything else.

LAST AN: Thanks for reading! So did you like it? Hate it? Tell me, by clicking on that button and taking a few seconds to review! Also, if you care to give a bit of advice, what do you think I should do for the next chapter? I'm thinking about either giving Remus a little time to mull over all that's going on, or should I get on with the action?  
  
Unfortunately, I am still beta-less. If anyone really is aching to check over the spelling, grammar, and style of a fairly bad writer (it could be great practice for all you would-be editors out there! :), just contact me. Thanks!


	4. Meetings or, the more cleverly titled Ch...

DISCLAIMER: I own very little, anything you recognize belongs to Ms. Rowling.  
  
AN: In this chapter things pick up a bit, and a few more canon characters make their first appearances.  
  
Reviewer Responses:  
Lucidity: Glad you like my Snape, he is possibly my favorite character in all of canon and I wanted to do him justice. Thanks!  
  
Alice Dodgson: Again, glad you like my Snape. He is an awesome character, and I might give him a larger role in this fic, if he cooperates. Thanks for your advice, I really appreciate it. I think (hope) I figured out a good direction to go in.  
  
Thanks to all who've read, and please review!!! Now, onto the fic!  
  
Remus awoke that morning to a loud crash followed by Mrs. Black's shrill voice screaming at whomever might be listening ("How dare you disturb this house! You filthy, ragged," and more insults along those lines.). Stumbling out of bed, Remus quickly put on a pair of robes, grabbed his wand, and apparated to the ground floor.  
  
Upon reaching the doorway, Remus relaxed considerably as he saw it was only Tonks (still sporting shocking pink hair), who had apparently apparated onto the first step and the floor, lost her balance, and crashed into the accursed umbrella stand.  
  
"Morning, Tonks," he said, calmly putting his wand in his pocket and offering the clumsy witch a hand.  
  
"More like afternoon, Remus," Tonks smiled as she dusted herself off. Remus frowned and looked at his watch, grimacing at the fact that he had overslept and it was now nearly half past one.  
  
"Rough night?" commented Tonks, eyeing Remus's disheveled hair and unshaven face.  
  
"More like a rough week," said Remus, trying in vain to flatten his hair. "So what are you here for?"  
  
"Isn't that a lovely welcome?" she said and Remus, realizing what he had said was quite rude, opened his mouth to apologize, but Tonks waved him off and smiled. "I was just teasing, Lupin. You really are wiped out, aren't you? Anyway, I'm just here to pick up some stuff for the new Order headquarters. There are still a few items we have stowed away here that need to be moved."  
  
After the battle at the Department of Mysteries, Dumbledore had decided that Grimmauld Place was no longer secure enough to be used as the Order's headquarters. It was still one of the safest places in the Wizarding World, but they couldn't risk Bellatrix or Narcissa finding some way around the Secret Keeper spell given their knowledge of the place, so they had moved to a remote castle on an abandoned rock in the Faeroe Islands. Remus suspected the castle was owned by the Dumbledore family, but nothing official had ever been said.  
  
As it was, there had been a flurry of activity at Grimmauld Place during the past week, whilst the Order moved various documents and magical objects to the new HQ. Apparently, there were still a few things left at Remus's new place and, in the infinite wisdom of the Order, Tonks had been sent to retrieve them.  
  
"Well, what are you looking for and where are they?" asked Remus with a yawn.  
  
"It's the case of maps of Little Hangleton with all the charms on them. I think they're under the sink."  
  
Sure enough, the cabinet under the sink yielded a sealed grey box which proved to contain the maps (charmed to reveal a scaled, 3-D model of the town when a certain incantation was said) they were looking for. Before Tonks could say good bye, Remus, lonely in the silent and depressing house, asked her to stay for a bite to eat. Never one to refuse free food or the company of a good friend, Tonks accepted and promptly plopped herself down at the table, an expectant look on her face.  
  
Remus had never been an exceptional cook, and since the Black house had evidently been relieved of most of its provisions along with the Order's materials, the pair only had toast and tea. Although the meal was sparse, it did not seem to dim Tonks's spirits, as she talked cheerfully about nothing in particular, trying to cheer the clearly dispirited Remus up. Eventually though, Tonks noticed that her usual good humor wasn't working, and asked the werewolf what was bothering him.  
  
At first Remus tried to convince her that nothing was wrong, but he had always been a terrible liar, and he ultimately told Tonks about his sister and Nott. After the depressing explanation, the two sat in an uncomfortable silence for several minutes before Tonks responded.  
  
"That's really heavy, Remus," she said, in typical Tonks fashion. "So this Nott kid, your nephew, he'll be staying with you all summer, right?"  
  
"Yes, that's what I understand of it."  
  
"Well that's great!" she exclaimed, smiling at a now confused Remus.  
  
"Great? How is that great?"  
  
"Think about it, Remus, you'll have somebody else here in this dusty old place to keep you busy all summer. He'll keep your mind off more serious stuff. It'll do you good, as Molly would say. You worry too much about the war and stuff; you're going to give yourself a heart attack if you keep on this way."  
  
"And you think having a potentially hostile teenager in my care for nearly two months will help me relax?" said Remus, eying Tonks incredulously. "Have you ever actually come in contact with _any_ teenager? Let alone a potentially hostile one?"  
  
"Don't be so sarcastic. You sound like Snape."  
  
"Ouch. That was harsh."  
  
"No, it was completely appropriate. You sounded just like the git. You even had a sneer going."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"No, I'm just giving you a hard time," Tonks grinned at him and he gave a small smile back. "Seriously, though, aren't you the _least_ bit happy about this? I mean, you've found a long-lost relative, and maybe now, with his help, you'll be able get some closure for your sister."  
  
"I've had closure for my sister for nearly seventeen years," replied Remus bitterly, closing his eyes and grimacing as if in pain. "I accepted my sister's death a long time ago. I've even got a headstone for her. I don't know if I want to find out what exactly happened to her, you know? I don't know if I want to know her son. This whole ordeal has just reopened a lot of old wounds."  
  
"Oh, Remus," Tonks moved her hands to cover his, "I'm so sorry. I know this has to be hard on you, especially after what just happened with Sirius, but, for the kid's sake, try and be positive. And for your sake, as well. You can't go round moping and always looking on the dark side of things, you know? You'll end up a grumpy old man who shakes his cane at neighbor children by the time you're fifty."  
  
"Thanks, Tonks, I'll remember that," said Remus grinning. The young Auror's words greatly reminded him of something Sirius would say. Why, just a few weeks ago, Sirius was teasing him about no, Remus stopped himself, even pleasant thoughts of his late friend were bound to lead the depressing memories of Sirius falling through that veil, and that was something he did not need to think about.  
  
"You'll do well to," she tapped her wand absentmindedly against the case of maps, sending violent green sparks into the air around the table, upsetting Remus's teacup. "Oops, sorry about that Remus. Forgot about the sealing charms. I'll clean it up."  
  
She raised her wand, intending to make the spilt tea vanish, but Remus quickly stopped her, "No, no, that's all right, I've got it," and, while Tonks faked an offended look, he cleaned the table with an expert spell.  
  
"Really, Lupin, don't you trust me at all?"  
  
"I trust you to disarm a Death Eater. Cleaning a kitchen table is a different story."  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment."  
  
"I hadn't meant it otherwise."  
  
"I'm sure. Anyway, Remus, I really have to be going. I'm supposed to pop over to the office today and help sort out some of the mess there, after I'm done at headquarters. On my day off, too," Tonks stood to leave, seizing the map case. "I'll see you later. Hopefully before the next Order meeting."  
  
"Hopefully," replied Remus cordially as he escorted her up to the door.  
  
"Floo when your nephew arrives," she said brightly when they reached the door. "I'll take you out to eat, seeing as there's nothing edible here."  
  
"Good bye, Tonks," Remus sighed, smiling.  
  
"Bye Remus," and with a loud crack she apparated away.  
  
The noise of Tonks leaving roused Mrs. Black and she began cursing Remus and her gand-niece fluently. But even Sirius's mother's viciousness could not dull the good mood Tonks had put Remus in. She had brightened up what had become his normal routine since Sirius's death: moping and sulking about the dreary and lonesome house, perhaps reading some excessively boring and out-of-date academic periodical, and feeding Buckbeak dead rodents (the last bit being the highlight of Remus's day).  
  
After he had silenced Mrs. Black, Remus decided to do something constructive for a change. He went up into the Black library, sat down at the ancient desk therein, and began writing a letter to Harry. Remus felt the need to be a bit more . . . familiar with the boy. While they had always been on friendly terms, Remus thought that they could be (and he probably should be, given his relationship with Lily and James), closer. His letter, while reminding Harry of the need to stay safe during the summer, was friendlier and, Remus hoped, would give Harry the impression that he could trust Remus in the same way he had trusted Sirius.  
  
While Remus was chewing his quill and contemplating whether or not to tell Harry about Theodore, an owl appeared at the library window. It did not tap, but rather kept a safe distance from the warded window and eyed it warily. Laughing softly, Remus rose and opened the window, beckoning the owl to fly in safely. It timidly entered the library, landing gracefully on the desk and holding out its leg, offering Remus the letter attached to it.  
  
Remus carefully detached the rolled parchment and nodded graciously to the owl as it flew away. He unrolled the letter and began to read:  
  
_ Mr. Lupin,  
This letter is to inform you that your nephew, Mr. Theodore Nott, has been located by members of the British Ministry Department Magical Law Enforcement: Missing Persons Division and the International Confederation of Wizards. He is currently at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries on the first floor in the Ketteridge Ward. Please, Floo or apparate this location as soon as possible to claim your nephew. If you do not wish to claim your nephew, please Floo or apparate to this location as soon as possible.  
Thank you for your cooperation.  
Mary G. Bekila  
Assistant Undersecretary  
International Confederation of Wizards (ICW)  
Program for the Care and Protection of Magical Children (PCPMC)  
_  
At the bottom of the parchment there were the wax seals of the ICW and the PCPMC (often called P-MaC by newscasters and analysts on the WWN), the names of both bodies flashing magically every few seconds in different languages. Remus stared intensely at this seal for a few seconds as he pondered all the horrible reasons his sister's son might be in St. Mungo's and tried to remember the specific purpose of the Ketteridge Ward. When he couldn't recall that, he let the letter drop to and readied himself to apparate straight away to St. Mungo's.  
  
Arriving there with a crack, Remus ignored the welcome witch, who made a half-hearted attempt at preventing him from entering the hospital's halls. When he finally reached the doorway of the Ketteridge Ward (Muggle Maladies and Injuries for Magical Beings), two nurses promptly accosted him in a manner only nurses can achieve.  
  
"Sir, you can't come in here," ordered one standing in front of Remus and physically prevented him from entering.  
  
"But I need to - " he began but the other nurse cut him off.  
  
"If you are in need of medical attention, sir, please return to the front desk and state your malady or injury and then we will be able to help you. If not, please leave, sir, as this hospital is currently restricted to patients and those with official passes, on order of the ICW, sir."  
  
"You're not listening to me!" Remus raised his voice, his usually calm demeanor leaving him. "I need to see my nephew. I received a letter from someone with the ICW saying I needed to be here."  
  
"Mr. Lupin?" A feminine voice with a slight accent interrupted them and the pair of nurses backed off, allowing Remus to finally see into the ward. The voice belonged to an African witch wearing professional-looking pink robes, an ICW badge (just like the seal on Remus's letter) flashing on her lapel.  
  
"That's right," replied Remus, suddenly self-conscious of his appearance in front of this proper and attractive witch. He realized that, in his hurry to leave, he still looked as he had when he greeted Tonks his hair a mess, his face unshaven, his shabby robes wrinkled and ill- fitting, and generally looking like he didn't have a roof over his head. Remus felt the heat in his face rising as the woman came over and shook his hand.  
  
"I'm Undersecretary Bekila," she said, smiling genially at Remus. "I've been assigned by the ICW to control the crisis of orphaned and abandoned magical children in Britain. This includes your nephew, Theodore Nott."  
  
"Yes, what's happened to him?" Remus asked, nervously looking around the ward.  
  
"Happened? I thought you knew?" replied undersecretary Bekila, frowning at him in a confused manner. "His father has been arrested and you are his closest living relative, therefore you now have custody of him. You do wish to have custody of him, do you not? Because if you don't-."  
  
"No, no, I want him, of course. And I know all about that," interrupted Remus bristly. "I meant why's he in hospital. Is he badly hurt?"  
  
"Hurt?" repeated the witch befuddledly. "No, no, he is unharmed."  
  
"Then why's he here?"  
  
"Oh, of course!" she exclaimed, finally realizing the source of Remus's worry and confusion, and explained the situation to him. "We are using the hospital for a place to house the children, as there is nowhere else. Do you know that Wizarding Britain has no orphanages or proper facilities for children? It's really a travesty. So we've had to put the children up here for now, until such a place is established. We have ten children here now, ages seven to sixteen."  
  
"Where are they?" asked Remus as he looked about the ward, seeing only a few curtained-off beds and no sign of any children.  
  
"Most of them are eating in the hospital's cafeteria now," explained Ms. Bekila, walking down the aisle between the beds. "But a few are still here, including your nephew."  
  
She stopped in front of one of the beds and Remus realized that this was it: behind that white linen curtain was his sister's son, his only hope at finding out her fate. He took a deep breath to prepare himself.  
  
"Mr. Nott," said Ms. Bekila, in a slightly louder voice, trying to get the boy's attention. She even raised her hand as if to knock on the curtains. "Your uncle is here now. Can we see you?"  
  
"I suppose you will whether I like it or not," came a voice muffled from behind the curtains. Remus swallowed and shot a worried glance at Ms. Bekila, noticing that his nephew did not seem pleased to see him.  
  
"Mr. Nott has not been one of our more agreeable wards," said the undersecretary pointedly to Remus as she quickly pulled back the curtain, though it was obvious she meant for Theodore to hear it as well.  
  
Remus was not altogether sure what to think of the sight before him. He didn't know what he had expected, but it wasn't this. Theodore Nott was sitting on the bed with his knees drawn up, a book resting on them. He didn't look at either Remus or Ms. Bekila, instead keeping his head down, reading. His face was hidden by a mop of sleek, dark hair. All in all, he was a rather ordinary looking boy, a bit on the thin side, but nothing exceptional about him. There was nothing to say he was the son of a Death Eater or the nephew of a werewolf. It was no wonder that Remus didn't remember him from Hogwarts, he looked like dozens of other schoolchildren.  
  
"Theodore," said the undersecretary kindly, "this is your uncle, Remus Lupin. He's here to take you home."  
  
"Hello," Remus tried in a voice that was shakier than he would have liked. "Nice to finally meet you."  
  
"I was your student for a year. You met me then," the teenager replied in a matter-of-fact way, making Remus a bit uncomfortable and ashamed for not remembering the boy. But, when he said that, Theodore finally did look up from his book and Remus got a good look at his nephew's face for the first time. He desperately searched the visage for any trace of his sister, but Remus recognized nothing at first. Then he got to the eyes, (which were examining him in a similar fashion); they were his sister's eyes the same light blue, the same roundish shape, the same intelligent look that he had seen in his sister's eyes for years stared back at Remus and from that moment on he was attached to the boy, and no one could convince him otherwise. This was definitely Bertie's son, and Remus was going to take care of him for her sake.  
  
"Theodore has been given a basic outline of events involving his mother," said Ms. Bekila, interrupting Remus's thoughts, "but he does not know the details. Your headmaster Dumbledore thought it best for the case."  
  
Remus noticed that Theodore rolled his (sister's) eyes as the witch said this. He suspected that the boy disliked being spoken of as if he weren't sitting right there and Remus couldn't blame him. As a werewolf, Remus was accustomed to being ignored in such a manner, as if he weren't human and couldn't understand those around him. Now he found himself sympathizing with Theodore and wanting to tell Ms. Bekila how rude she had just been.  
  
"Yes, of course," Remus said distractedly, not even bothering to look at the undersecretary as he spoke to her, instead gazing leave his nephew with a sort of disbelief. "So, can we go home now? Do I have to fill out any paperwork or anything?"  
  
"You only need to sign this," a long piece of parchment appeared in her hand with a pop and she pulled a bright orange quill out of her front pocket. "It's a document saying you've accepted temporary custody of the boy, he is in good health, you take responsibility for his care and well- being, etc. Just sign at the bottom and then you may leave."  
  
Remus took the quill and was about to sign the lengthy paper when Theodore interrupted them, "Don't I get any say in this?" His voice was not caustic as his words might suggest, but rather he seemed to be genuinely curious.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Nott," Ms. Bekila answered him, "but as you are a minor, your rights are rather limited. You will eventually get some say, as you will be assigned a caseworker and if you decide that you cannot stay with your uncle, you will tell them and they will be able to help you find a different home. But as for now, this situation is best and you will spend at least the summer with your uncle."  
  
Theodore did not say anything in response, and Remus could not tell if the boy seemed upset about the arrangement or not. Forcing himself to look away, Remus signed the form, and it quickly vanished again with a pop.  
  
"Thank you very much, Mr. Lupin," she said proudly. "You have done your family and all of society a great service and the International Confederation of Wizards commends you. Now, I will release Mr. Nott into your care. Raise your arm, Theodore."  
  
When his nephew raised his arm reluctantly, Remus noticed that the boy had been restrained, his left wrist attached to the bedpost with a rope of white light. The undersecretary removed it with a quick incantation and Theodore merely lowered his arm casually and closed his book, as if the witch had simply cast a cooling charm on him.  
  
"Why was he restrained?" asked Remus frowning, as his nephew slid off the bed.  
  
"When Mr. Nott was found, he did not want to cooperate with the Ministry wizards and proceeded to hex them rather forcefully," Ms. Bekila explained, giving Theodore a look that reminded Remus uncannily of McGonagall. "Several were hospitalized, and Mr. Nott's wand has been confiscated by the Improper Use of Magic Office. Fortunately, he has not been expelled, but Ms. Hopkirk will be reviewing his case at the end of summer to determine if he should be allowed his wand back. For your information, Mr. Lupin, his is not to be allowed a wand for the duration of the summer."  
  
"Oh," was all Remus could say. The professor side of him didn't think it boded well that his nephew was the type to curse Ministry officials, but then again the Marauder side of Remus was rejoicing in that the boy seemed to have a bit of spirit. "Well, let's get going then. Thank you, Ms. Bekila. Do you have everything, Theodore?"  
  
His nephew seemed surprised at Remus's use of his given name, but he merely nodded as he took hold of his trunk.  
  
"Good bye, Mr. Lupin, Theodore," Ms. Bekila waved and smiled widely as the pair left the ward.  
  
Remus took out his wand and prepared himself to apparate away, when his nephew stopped him.  
  
"Um, excuse me," he said quietly, "but I can't apparate."  
  
Remus fought the urge to smack himself in the forehead. This was getting off swimmingly, he thought sarcastically. As he murmured an apology and walked to the Floo room, he realized that after today his life would change more than he had ever expected.  
  
AN: Sorry the ending's kind of lame. I think this is my longest chapter yet. I also think I kind of rushed it, just to get Remus to finally meet Theodore (really, I could probably combine the first three chapters and call them 'prologue' or 'boring but necessary chapters that set up for later action'). I'm glad I've finally got the story off, so to speak, and hope that in my rush to get this out, it all makes sense (it does to me, but I'm the omnipotent author ;).  
  
A few things: Mary Bekila's surname is taken from an accomplished Ethiopian track star, whom I found out about on the official Olympic website.  
  
Ketteridge and Hopkirk are actual characters in the HP world and belong to JKR (one has a famous wizard's card, the other sends Harry letters regarding his [mis]use of magic outside of school; respectively).  
  
Anyway, still beta-less, but apparently that's ok, as no one's reviewed saying 'you really should get someone to check over your grammar and spelling,' so I expect I'll just trudge along beta-less :). REVIEW!!! Thanks! 


	5. Some Progress

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing other than Roberta (who finally makes an appearance!), anything you recognize (and some things you might not), belongs to the admirable J.K. Rowling.  
  
REVIEWER RESPONSES: You guys rock!!  
  
Lucidity Glad you liked the chapter! Theodore does know how to get into trouble (and get out of it), but right now he's kind of depressed, so he won't give Remus too much trouble just yet.  
  
Alice Dodgson Thank you so much for that wonderful compliment and I'm glad you liked the chapter. I honestly don't know yet if I'm going to make this Remus/Tonks. I adore the ship, but don't know how well I'd write romance (I really hadn't much of an intention of even including everyone's favorite Metamorphmagus in this fic, but she just showed up in a Tonksy way). If I can, I'll work it into the fic, but as of right now they just have a close and flirty friendship. ;) If you really have the time to beta, I'd appreciate it if I could work that out with you. I'll e-mail you, kay?  
  
Neoma Glad to see your review, keep it up, even if you don't like this chapter!  
  
AN: Yes, I know terribly late. I have a good reason though!!! My dad and his friend decided to "fix" the computer, despite the fact that it wasn't broken and the fact that their computer knowledge consists of playing games and accessing espn.com. Thus, my computer was broken for like a week. I managed to fix it, using the technologically advanced method of shouting and turning it off and on till it worked. So, without further adieu, here is the fic!  
  
When they arrived at Grimmauld Place in a cloud of soot and smoke, Remus's uneasiness only increased. His nephew didn't say a single word as Remus gave him the grand tour. The only indication that Theodore understood his words, was when the boy put his trunk down in the first bedroom they came across, after Remus suggested he choose a room. After they'd gone through the whole of the house, including the attic, Remus was feeling extremely uncomfortable and was having a difficult time remaining cheerful.  
  
They had ended up back in the kitchen eventually, sitting across from each other at the table, neither meeting the other's eyes. Remus attempted to break the boy's silence, asking undemanding questions about school, Quidditch, the OWLs, and other such topics, but Theodore only nodded, shook his head or shrugged if he acknowledged his uncle's questions at all. Mostly, the boy just ignored Remus and fiddled with a loose thread on the cuff of his sleeve. It was all very unnerving for the werewolf.  
  
After this had gone on for about fifteen trying minutes, Remus's stomach gave him an idea.  
  
"Are you hungry at all?" he asked hopefully and with more glee than one should have when questioning a person's appetite. "A friend of mine offered to take us out to supper, if you'd like. Or we could stay in; there's not much here, but I could probably whip up something -."  
  
"I'm not hungry," Theodore said curtly, dashing Remus's hopes.  
  
"Are you certain?" he persisted, sounding very much like Molly Weasley (he nearly added 'dear' to the end of that question, but thankfully stopped himself, as saying such a thing surely would have made him look like a madman or pouffe-y creep).  
  
Remus had expected another nonverbal answer, but Theodore surprised him, saying, "They gave me a potion at hospital. If I eat anything before noon tomorrow, I'll be sick."  
  
"Oh," Remus lamely responded, though he was glad his nephew had actually spoken, he didn't know how to respond to that. He wondered why they'd given Theodore a potion. The kid wasn't ill; at least he didn't appear to be. Remus searched his brain, trying to remember a potion that prevented one from eating, but before he could even think of a single potion, his nephew spoke again.  
  
"I'm kind of tired. Could I go to bed now?"  
  
"Sure, sure," muttered Remus, slightly taken aback. Theodore got up and went up the flights of stairs to his room, thankfully not disturbing Mrs. Black's portrait.  
  
When he left, Remus groaned and let his head fall to the table in a heap. That could not have possibly been worse. The kid hated him, hated being there, and would never help convict Nott. Remus looked at his watch, wondering if he too should be getting to be, and he realized with a start that it was only seven-thirty! It wasn't even dark yet! What kind of teenage boy went to bed at seven-thirty while on summer holiday? Something was up, and Remus wanted to know what.  
  
Quietly, Remus went up the stairs to the room his nephew had chosen. It was on the first floor, and was one of the better rooms in the house, the girls having used it the previous summer. He knocked on the door softly and called, "Theodore? May I come in?"  
  
After hearing no response for several seconds, Remus carefully entered and found, unsurprisingly, that his nephew was not sleeping. In fact, the boy was sitting on the bed, knees drawn up to his chest and head bowed: the same position he had been in at the hospital. He was still in his robes (school robes, Remus noticed and wondered how long he'd been wearing them), and looked a bit disheveled. It all made for a rather disconcerting picture, and worried the older wizard.  
  
"Theodore?" he began cautiously, "are you all right?"  
  
Remus had expected his nephew to merely nod or ignore the question, as he had all night, but Theodore's answer indicated that he had apparently had enough silence.  
  
"No, you know what, I'm not all right," he snapped accusingly at Remus, as he lifted his head finally to reveal tear-streaked cheeks. "Why the hell should I be all right? My father's close to death, I haven't a home to go to, and the Ministry's sent me to stay, wand-less, with a werewolf they're claiming is my uncle, though I've never heard so much as a word of or from him, so I think I've every right to be not all right!"  
  
Remus stood there for a moment, somewhat stunned by Theodore's outburst. The kid did have a very good point, he thought. The situation had to be ten times more difficult for Theodore than it was for Remus (and he found the arrangement rather terrifying, himself). So, Remus Lupin put on his best reassuring-teacher face, sat down next to his nephew, and tried to assuage the boy's fears one by one.  
  
"From what they've told me," he said calmly and quietly, "your father will live."  
  
"And a lot of good that'll do him in Azkaban," Theodore grumbled bitterly, again making a good point. Remus didn't have an answer for that, as he hoped Thaddeus Nott would be locked in the wizards' prison for the rest of his life and therefore couldn't proclaim that he hoped or expected otherwise, even for the sake of his nephew's happiness. So, Remus just changed the subject.  
  
"Well, I am really your uncle; there's no question of that."  
  
"I have plenty of questions about that," retorted the teenager sullenly. "Like why did my mother never mention your existence?"  
"I don't know the answer to that, Theodore," sighed Remus sadly, thinking about his sister. "Did she ever say anything about her family to you?"  
  
"I was told they wanted nothing to do with her after she married my father," he said cryptically, and Remus wondered exactly who had told Theodore that.  
  
"Honestly, I didn't even know she'd been married," replied Remus, wanting to say more but stopping himself. He realized that his nephew would not respond if he blurted out the whole story of his parents' murder and sister's kidnaping. "But, if I had, I certainly would have kept in touch with her. For all these years, I've thought she was dead."  
  
"She is," reported Theodore unflinchingly. His casualness disturbed Remus, and the older wizard drew back slightly, shocked. Theodore, however, looked quite pleased with himself and Remus realized that the boy's intent had been to startle him.  
  
"So I've been told," the older wizard-replied cooly. "Though I wish that I'd been informed when it happened. I still don't know the exact year she died."  
  
"When I was ten," said Theodore curtly, not offering any more information, to Remus's frustration.  
  
At a loss for what to do next, Remus and Theodore just sat there in awkward silence for several minutes. Eventually, Remus decided to ask some more general questions, which would hopefully make his nephew more comfortable.  
  
"What do you think of Grimmauld Place?"  
  
"It's fine," answered Theodore, his eyes scanning the Spartan room. He was obviously trying to discourage Remus's attempts at conversation again, but the older wizard would not allow it.  
  
"It was my friend's childhood home he left it to me in his will," Remus briefly wondered if Theodore was aware of the situation involving Sirius and Peter. His father must have known about it, as all Death Eaters did, but Remus was unsure if Nott, Sr. would tell his son anything. "It needs a little work; hasn't really been a home for nearly sixteen years. But we should be able to make it livable again over the next few weeks."  
  
Theodore furrowed his eyebrows at the mention of 'we', but didn't say anything, as per usual. In truth, Remus was being a bit optimistic about fixing up Grimmauld Place in less than two months. Molly Weasley, the expert of all things domestic, had only managed to rid the old house of various magical infestations during her time there, and she'd put the entire house to work.  
  
"And," Remus continued brightly, "we could probably bring a few more of your belongings over here, after the Ministry's cleared your house."  
  
"I've got everything," stated Theodore. Remus looked to the boy's somewhat battered Hogwarts trunk and doubted his nephew was being entirely honest.  
  
"Are you sure? It wouldn't be any trouble; I'm certain."  
  
"I'm sure."  
  
"All right," Remus acquiesced, but made a note to bring up the option again, at a better time. "Is there anything you want to ask? Anything about me, or the house, or this situation?"  
  
Theodore looked as though he desperately wanted to ask something, but was biting his tongue. His nephew, Remus decided, was going to have to become more talkative if this was going to work out for anyone.  
  
"You can ask anything," Remus encouraged him, smiling reassuringly. "I won't be angry, I swear."  
  
The teenager lowered his head again and studied the quilt. He chewed nervously on his lip and was again pulling at the loose thread on his sleeve. Finally, he spoke:  
  
"Er- I- I don't really know how to ask you this," he paused, looking up and scrutinizing Remus's face for any sign of disapproval, finding nothing but polite curiosity, "but, er, what do I do, you know, when you when the moon's full?"  
  
"Oh, that," Remus was relieved that Theodore had finally asked a real question, not in anger or frustration, though there was more fear than Remus would have liked, but that was understandable. "I always take the Wolfsbane you know what that is, don't you?" (Theodore nodded), " so I'm harmless. But, just as a final safety precaution, I lock myself in the cellar and put up protection charms around it. If you like, during the full moon, we could have someone over to keep you company. I'm usually worse for wear afterwards, so one of my friends is normally here to help me out. Does that answer your question well enough?"  
  
Theodore again nodded, though this time it was a bit more enthusiastic and Remus took that as a good sign.  
  
"Well, do you still believe I'm not your uncle?" he asked lightly, changing the subject once again. Remus hoped that his somewhat teasing tone would keep Theodore from again pulling back. The boy didn't respond right away, but again began to fidget nervously with his sleeve. Remus, not wanting another period of silence to darken the mood, continued to speak, as if his question were rhetorical. "Because, you know, I've photographic evidence to prove it. Would you like me to show you?"  
  
Theodore's head popped up quickly at his uncle's suggestion, and he didn't' have to nod for Remus to know he wanted to see the photos. The older wizard smiled triumphantly, making a mental note to thank Snape for the suggestion.  
"They're in my room. I'll bring them here in a minute." Remus quickly retrieved the dusty old albums that he'd been carrying about in a battered suitcase for seventeen years. When he returned to the first floor bedroom, Theodore had stretched out, sitting properly at the edge of the bed now, instead of curled up in the middle. He eagerly eyed the items in Remus's arms, giving away his desperation to see his mother.  
  
"Here we are," Remus sat down next to his nephew on the bed, making sure not to get too close. He set the other albums aside, opting for a red one with The Lupins emblazoned in gold across the front cover, though the years had dulled its shine. It was an old-fashioned album, with two-toned photos pasted on black construction paper and his mother's white script written underneath. Remus skipped over pages of his parents wedding and his own early childhood, until he got to the first picture of Roberta. It was of the entire family in front of their car at hospital, preparing to take little Bertie home for the very first time.  
  
Theodore peered over the picture (the only one on the page featuring his mother, the rest were of Remus's pregnant mother and himself, in a rather humiliating sailor suit complete with a hat). It was a rather grainy photo, black and white, with the older members of the small family squinting into the sun, making their smiles look more like painful grimaces. After examining the photo for several seconds, Theodore finally spoke.  
  
"What's wrong with the spell?"  
  
Remus was slightly taken aback. He'd been expecting some question about the subjects of the picture and couldn't for his life figure out what Theodore was talking about.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked sincerely .  
"It's not moving. Has the spell worn off?"  
  
Then, the gears in Remus's head clicked and he knew what Theodore was talking about. The photo was a Muggle one; none of the Lupins were moving. Remus had become so accustomed to his family pictures standing still that he didn't expect anyone to be surprised by it.  
  
"Oh, there's no spell on it," Remus answered, making sure he didn't sound condescending (after all, Theodore had probably never encountered a Muggle photo). "It's a Muggle picture. They don't move. My mother was a Muggle and she always said that pictures were supposed to capture a certain moment in time, just a split second, and save that moment forever. My father agreed with her I must say, I do as well so, I think all our photos are done Muggle-style. None of them move, but that means they're always there and won't run off when you want to see them."  
  
"Oh," was all Theodore said, and he sounded a bit sheepish. Remus, however, was glad the boy didn't seem to have a negative opinion of Muggle photos, as many Pureblood wizards might. This was a good kid, Remus decided, who didn't sneer or smirk superiorly and who felt bad about not knowing something he couldn't have been expected to know. "Nice hat, by the way," he said dryly, looking at the photo of little sailor Remus.  
Was that humor Remus heard from the sullen boy who'd been nothing but depressed or apathetic all evening? Oh, this plan was working out wonderfully, Remus thought with a smile. He'd have to be extra nice to Snape the next time they spoke, maybe even say something wrong about some Defense subject just so the Potions Master could have the satisfaction of correcting him it was something Snape enjoyed more than anything else.  
  
"You should know I had nothing to do with that. My mother rather liked it, for some preposterous reason. In fact, I protested that hat adamantly. Never've liked hats since."  
  
"You seem to be enjoying it quite a bit in the picture," Theodore pointed out casually, as if making an observation about the weather. Indeed, little-Remus was smiling hugely, his cheeks dimpled and his entire visage the picture of a happy childhood.  
  
"I was too young to know better," replied Remus wryly, smiling. "Though, I recall my father telling my mother I'd hate her for it later. But mothers enjoy dressing their children in embarrassing outfits when they're little because they know they can get away with it."  
  
"I know what you mean. My mum once made me wear frilly dress robes for a portrait. The hat ended up looking like a bonnet, because I'd pulled it back so much. Now, whenever people see that picture, they say, 'Oh, what a darling little girl! What's her name?'. It was especially bad when Draco saw it. I tried telling him it was my second-cousin or something, but he figured out it was me and I swear he broke a rib laughing."  
  
Remus laughed too (thinking more of stiff Draco Malfoy, rolling about on the floor, guffawing than his nephew in frills), and Theodore smiled brightly, greatly resembling his mother. The older wizard was glad the boy could make fun of himself, and decided he must have gotten all these good traits from Bertie.  
  
"I think I'm actually wearing a bonnet in some of my baby pictures."  
  
"Really? Well, why don't we have a look then?" Theodore grinned widely at his uncle and acted as though he was going to turn the pages back, before Remus put his hand down on the book.  
  
"There's plenty of time for that later," he said, smiling as he hadn't in days. Joking around with his nephew was one of the most enjoyable things Remus had experienced in a long time, and Theodore's personality matched Bertie's much more than the boy's physical features. It was almost like Remus's sister was there teasing him as she'd done so often during their childhood.  
  
"Let's look at your mother now. I think there are several pictures of her in less-than-dignified situations, so you should be duly entertained."  
  
They shared a smile and turned the pages. After that, the pair conversed easily and happily. Every once in a while, Remus would share a story about a certain picture. Some were funny, like his two-year-old sister on the seashore trying to give their dad a live crab. Some were bittersweet and sentimental, like when five-year-old Bertie sat by Remus's bedside, reading him a story after a full moon. As they went through the albums, watching the family age and change, Theodore and Remus bonded. Obviously, the boy adored (and missed) his mother and was grateful beyond words for Remus's connection to her. Also, Remus cherished the few stories about Bertie that Theodore shared with him. She had sung old Beatles' songs to him, though he never knew they were a Muggle band (and, he asked Remus, just what was a yellow submarine?). And they had made sugar cookies [AN biscuits, I think, for all you Brits :)] at Christmas, just as Remus and Bertie had done with their mother.  
  
There were pages of more modern, colored pictures (some of these magical, as they were of Remus's friends), much to the delight of Theodore, before all the photos abruptly stopped.  
  
"Why don't you have any more photos?" asked Theodore as they came to the last page (holding the same photo of Bertie that had graced her missing person's posters years ago). Remus had hoped the teenager wouldn't ask, but as the night had gone on, he'd become bolder and more inquisitive.  
  
"Well, that was when your mother left," replied the werewolf slowly and vaguely, hoping in vain that it would end there.  
  
"Left? Where did she go? To that Muggle you-need-varsity? She'd be too young for that, wouldn't she? It says she's only fourteen here. Why did the photos stop?" Theodore was suspicious and demanding. Remus suspected that a small part of him knew the answer, knew the whole story, but wasn't willing to face it.  
  
Remus grimaced, wondering what he should say. Should he tell the entire truth? Or just say that Bertie had then run off with Nott, Sr. and leave it at that? Should he just outright lie? Remus ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.  
  
"That year that summer, actually just before Bertie's fifteenth birthday, our house was attacked by Death Eaters," Remus paused there and looked at his nephew. Theodore's face was stricken and he obviously knew what his uncle was going to say. Sighing, Remus continued. "I haven't seen my sister - your mother - since then. I don't know what happened to her, really."  
  
There was a period of silence after that pronouncement. Theodore started in on his sleeve again (it was quite frayed, by now), and Remus looked about the room as if trying to find answers on what to do next from the furniture. To the older man's astonishment, Theodore spoke first.  
  
"I think," he said quietly, keeping his head bowed, "I think I need some time alone."  
  
"Certainly," replied Remus seriously, standing up. He smiled down at his nephew when the boy looked up. "It is getting rather late, so you should be getting to bed. You remember where the bathroom is if you'd like a shower, right? I leave these albums here in case you'd like to look through them again."  
"Thank you, sir," Theodore smiled lightly at the books.  
  
He acts as thought those were more precious than all the gold in Gringotts, Remus thought sadly, and to him they probably are.  
  
"You're welcome, Theodore. Good night." Remus left the room softly, feeling contentedly exhausted.  
  
"Good night. Remus."  
  
AN: Well, I hoped you like it! The ending's so sweet it might rot your teeth, so remember to brush after reading ;). Please Review and tell me what you think good, bad, ugly, whatever! 


	6. Some Bad News

AN: sorry for the very long delay. My computer crashed taking my fully written chapter 6 with it. So, I've retyped the whole thing from scratch on a different computer. sigh Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to Alice Dodgson, who kindly and efficiently beta'd it. She did a fantastic job and I thank her for her time and effort. Also another big thanks to all my reviewers; individual responses/thanks will be at the end.  
  
DISCLAIMER: Own nothing, just borrowing JKR's wonderful creation.  
  
Remus went to his own bedroom after leaving Theodore. He hoped that the somber end to their conversation wouldn't negate all the progress Remus had made. Theodore's parting words gave him good reason to have faith - it had been the only time all evening that the boy had used his first name, something not even Harry would do.

A feeling of guilt swept over Remus as he thought of Harry. After being called to the hospital, he hadn't so much as thought of his friends' son. Blast it all, he'd even forgotten the letter and now it was too late to send anything off (though owls are naturally nocturnal creatures, someone had neglected to mention this to Remus' owl Morpheus, and the temperamental animal refused to do anything more than snore after eight o'clock).

Feeling somewhat ashamed, Remus quietly descended the stairs and returned to the study on the ground floor. His letter to Harry was where he had left it; the quill had dripped a rather large ink spot onto the bottom of the parchment. Remus cleared up the ink spill with a spell and returned to where he had left off - deciding whether to tell Harry about Theodore or not. On the one hand, if he wanted to get into a closer relationship with the young Gryffindor (something he not only desired but felt was his duty), telling the boy about Theodore might cause him to back off. But on the other hand, not telling Harry would have all the consequences that lying by omission entailed. And Remus knew Harry well enough to predict that he would be more upset if Remus didn't tell him.

With a sigh, Remus put quill to parchment and wrote about Theodore as briefly and as nonchalantly as he could. As he signed his name, Remus hoped Harry would react maturely and maybe even have Tonks' enthusiasm for the situation. _And maybe Snape will wear a fetching red and gold ensemble to the next Order meeting_, Lupin thought cynically and he folded the thick parchment. In order to avoid any temptation to change the letter, Remus sealed it formally, pressing a simple generic leaf pattern into the gold wax (part of old Mr. Black's impressive stationary collection). He didn't bother addressing it, or even put Harry's name on the front, in case it was intercepted. Remus simply initialed the left corner, so that Harry would know who sent it. 

The former professor glanced at his peculiar owl, hoping that perhaps Morpheus had decided to break from tradition. Alas, the creature was snoring contentedly on his perch, causing Remus to scoff at the bird. Frowning, he set the finished missive aside and made a mental note to send it first thing the next morning.

Though it was past eleven (the hour at which werewolves in their mid-thirties usually went to sleep), Lupin did not feel tired at all. This was easily explained by a combination of high adrenaline and sleeping till one in the afternoon. Knowing that he wouldn't be falling asleep any time soon, Remus selected an exhausting academic tome by Adalbert Waffling. A few hundred pages on effects of magic on sub-atomical particles, and he'd be out like the dead. Feeling satisfied with himself, Remus made his way back to his room, resisting the urge to check on Theodore (whose light was now out) as he went past the teen's door.

The next morning, Remus awoke with a heavy weight on his chest and discovered that Mr. Waffling's book had indeed put him to sleep. Unfortunately, falling asleep whilst sitting up against a wooden headboard tended to give even the spryest of wizards a crick in the neck. Even more unfortunately, Remus was not the spryest of wizards, in fact he was a middle-aged werewolf in poor shape and thus had a crick in every joint of his upper body (including the fixed joints of his skull).

Grimacing with the effort of getting up, Remus left his bed and made his way to the bathroom. For a change, he decided that he would look presentable today. Or as presentable as he could be, he thought as he looked at his now-shaven and clean face in the mirror. He was pale, with bruises under his eyes and more grey hair than a wizard his age should have. _So, looking more like a terminally ill person today, as opposed to my usual corpse-like self_, Remus thought sarcastically, rolling his eyes at the mirror (which was tactfully silent about his appearance.) After he had shrugged on some old clothes (and sent off Harry's letter with a wide awake, and, of all things, chirping, Morpheus), the wizard trudged down the stairs, contemplating breakfast. 

Upon entering the kitchen, Remus was startled by the sight of his nephew sitting at the table with a large glass of water, staring at the older wizard disconcertingly. Theodore was still in his pajamas (rather, an old fashioned, long night shirt and cap) and made no motion to greet his uncle; merely sipped his water.

"Er, good morning," said Remus as cheerfully as he could manage. It was rather unnerving to find a sixteen-year-old boy sitting at one's kitchen table drinking a ridiculously large glass of water at nine in the morning. At least, for Remus it was.

"Morning," replied Theodore, giving nothing away with his reaction and taking another sip of the water.

"Would you like some breakfast?" Lupin asked timidly after a moment of awkward silence. The werewolf found it more than a bit odd to find someone drinking a large glass of water for the morning meal.

"I'm not supposed to eat until noon, remember?" the boy answered steadily. Remus belatedly recalled the mysterious potion that prevented his nephew from consuming anything without becoming sick (though, evidently, this didn't apply to overlarge glasses of water).

"Oh, yes, of course. Sorry," Remus said sheepishly. Theodore looked somewhat surprised by the apology, furrowing his brows (_something Bertie would do_, Remus noted) at his uncle but saying nothing. Wanting to further the conversation, Remus continued uncertainly.  
  
"So why did they give you that potion? I've never heard of anything like it."

"Neither had I," Theodore said calmly. "The nurse said it was a restorative potion, but didn't tell me the name. I think it had ginger in it." The teen shrugged off this absent comment, as it was obvious Remus would not be able to guess the potion from this (nor any) description.

"Why did they give you a restorative potion?" asked Remus, frowning. Though his practical knowledge of potions was abysmal, Remus did know that one took restorative potions to replace something the body had lost - fluids, blood, etc. Thinking about what his nephew might need restored made Remus' stomach flip with worry, though it was obvious the boy was in good health now.

"Oh, well that," Theodore said slowly, clearly not wanting to answer. His head was now bowed, the long fringe of his dark hair hiding his expression. "Well, you see, after I left the Express, I didn't really have anywhere to go. I wasn't about to go off with the Malfoys. Too dangerous, that. So, I took my trunk and went to Knockturn Alley."

Theodore paused here, letting that information sink in. Remus couldn't imagine walking across a good bit of London in full wizards' robes, dragging a heavy trunk behind him. And then to go to Knockturn Alley, of all places! He wondered why his nephew didn't simply stay at the Leaky Cauldron or somewhere else in Diagon Alley. At those businesses, there wasn't a good chance of being cursed for your shoes, which one could not say about anywhere in Knockturn Alley. As if reading Remus' mind, Theodore continued on with his tale.

"I didn't have any cash on me, so I couldn't get a room or anything. I hadn't my account key either, and those goblins won't so much as look at you if you don't have a key, no matter if you've been to Gringotts every day for the length of your life. So, I sort of had no where to go. I wasn't going to hang around Diagon Alley either and wait for the Ministry to arrest me either, so "  
"Wait," interrupted Remus, waving his hand to silence Theodore. "Why did you think the Ministry might arrest you?" After asking that question, Remus instantly regretted it as images of Theodore rolling up his sleeve to reveal that ugly skull and snake flashed through his mind. Thankfully, the young Slytherin answered his uncle with words.

"Because of my father," he said, as though it would be obvious.

"They wouldn't arrest you for something your father did!" declared Remus incredulously. "They might," Theodore then raised his head and met his uncle's gaze. "They've sent people to life in Azkaban without so much as look at a judge. I don't think it much of a stretch for them to punish sons for the crimes of their fathers."  
  
_You asked for it_, thought Remus as he was stung by the memory of Sirius' unjust punishment. So, Theodore did know at least something about the late Black, but just how much could be found out later. At that moment, Remus wanted to know what had happened to his nephew in during the time he spent on the streets. Thankfully, Theodore obliged him. 

"So, not having any money, I more or less hung about in a corner of the Alley for the next day or so, without any food or shelter. I hadn't eaten much over the last few days anyway. Didn't have an appetite - my dad, you know? So, by the time those Ministry wizards caught me, I was really weak. When they got me to hospital, I had to have the potion because my stomach was shrunk so much that I couldn't eat what I needed to get my strength back. If I had eaten in the few days before, they wouldn't have caught me so easily," he finished bitterly, glaring off at a corner as if it were a member of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Remus tried with much difficulty not to show the distress that Theodore's story had caused him. Even after knowing the boy for only a few hours, Lupin's attachment to his sister's son had become such that the idea of the boy drifting about a deadly neighborhood, hungry and alone, troubled him. Hoping to lighten the mood, Remus asked, "I heard you did admirably even in your condition. I was informed that you hospitalized two fully trained wizards. Quite an accomplishment for anyone, let alone a hungry sixteen-year-old."

Theodore beamed proudly at this praise (inappropriate as it was), but a second later his expression became more solemn. "Do you think I'll ever get my wand back?"

"I should think so," Lupin reassured his nephew confidently. "As long as you behave yourself, they seemed eager to give it back to you."

His nephew nodded, appearing satisfied with this explanation. Indeed, Remus was grateful that the Ministry was in such disarray at this time. Otherwise, Theodore would likely never see the outside of Azkaban's walls, let alone his wand again. Attacking Ministry officials was a serious offense, though apparently the ICW wasn't worried about it.  
  
A second later, Remus' stomach gave an unsettling growl, reminding him that he definitely needed to have breakfast after eating nothing but toast the day before. After a thorough search of the cupboards, however all the wizard came up with was moldy bread, an empty oatmeal box, and a jar of an oozing green substance labeled "Pickled Toad Livers" in cheerful orange script.  
  
That particular item (_where had it come from - was Snape leaving potions' ingredients about the place?_), succeeded in diminishing Remus' appetite to a point where he could stand to last until a trip to the grocer's was made. He suggested this plan to Theodore, who agreed enthusiastically, eager to leave the creepy old house right away. A few moments later, Remus' nephew appeared in the kitchen dressed in full wizards' robes, including a floppy blue hat. The robes were of high quality, though a bit wrinkled from having evidently spent a good deal of time in Theodore's trunk. The only problem was that Remus had planned to go to the Muggle shop a few blocks away. Not exactly a place to wear wizard's robes to, unless one was skilled with memory charms.

"Er, do you have any Muggle clothes, Theodore?" he asked tentatively, knowing it was unlikely.

"Of course not," said Theodore, though his tone was not snobbish as it might have been. Instead the boy sounded confused at worst. Obviously he's not appalled by Muggles, reflected Remus, just a bit ignorant.

"Well, we're going to a shop just down the street, so I except you would want to look a bit less .er, conspicuous."

"Oh. Well then what should I wear to look like a Muggle?"  
  
"Um " Remus paused for a moment, trying to recall anything muggle-ish that a Pureblood wizard might have in his wardrobe. "Just some trousers and one of your plain Hogwarts shirts should do."

"Just that?" asked Theodore disbelievingly. "Nothing over it?"

Remus realized that, to a pureblood wizard, the idea of going out in so little would be a bit stunning, if not scandalous. For a brief moment, Remus wondered why magical folk insisted on wearing long robes no matter the weather, but dismissed the trivial musing quickly. "It will be fine," he assured his nephew, smiling. In fact, the outfit might be a bit strange wizards' trousers and shirts were approximately one hundred years out of style in the Muggle world, to say nothing of the buckled shoes Theodore wore. It would be fine, Remus told himself, as long as they bought some Muggle clothes while they were out.

He met an uncomfortable looking Theodore in the foyer, and, after persuading the Slytherin to remove his hat, they set off. Theodore was silent for most of the excursion, speaking rarely and nodding or shaking his head whenever Remus asked him a question. It was clear the boy had never heard of a Muggle supermarket and the sight seemed to stun him. His silence, however, was not helping Remus at all. Though the older wizard was not as awed by the sights a grocery store had to offer, Remus was far from an experienced shopper (he could count the number of times he'd been to an actual Muggle supermarket on one hand). While middle-aged ladies with squealing toddlers easily navigated their ways through the aisles, picking out items quickly, Remus made his way slowly through the unfamiliar territory. And with Theodore being so closemouthed, Remus didn't really know what to buy for the boy.   
  
By the time they checked out (Theodore eying the cash register with great scrutiny), Remus' cart was full of very plain necessities and, of course, four large bars of Cadbury chocolate. Though their bounty didn't look like much, they were limited in their selection due to Remus's ability to cook . . . or lack thereof. After they left the shop (and Remus inhaled a chocolate bar in record time), the older wizard suggested they might buy Theodore some Muggle clothes. His nephew seemed surprised by the offer, and a bit skeptical, but accepted.

They entered the Muggle store after Remus had surreptitiously shrunk their grocery bags. Lupin was not up-to-date on his Muggle fashion, but the shop seemed to be trendy enough, at least none of the clothes looked irregular.

Theodore proved to be an easy person to shop with. He quickly selected a few tee shirts, trousers, and even two pairs of shorts after Remus assured him that Muggles did wear such things. Lupin also managed to coax the younger wizard into purchasing some shoes, as the seventeenth century buckled pair were not Muggle-approved, so to speak. Theodore even managed to add up the cost, showing a remarkable comprehension of decimal points (something many wizards had never heard of, let alone understood), and declared he would compensate Remus when he could. Remus gave a small nod to that statement, having absolutely no intention of accepting his nephew's money (currently, Remus was living off of a significant sum he'd inherited from Sirius, but he pushed that thought out of his head as he paid the cashier).

When they got home, it was well past noon so Remus decided to make lunch while Theodore put his new things away. Not knowing what his nephew might like, Lupin settled on some ham and cheese sandwiches, wishing he had bought a few more condiments.

When Theodore returned to the kitchen, he'd put on a lightweight robe and Remus had to stifle a laugh. The boy really didn't trust Muggle clothes. When he sat down to eat, an uncomfortable quiet fell over the large room. While the sound of mastication might be euphonious to some people, Remus was unsettled by it and tried to pull his nephew out of his muteness.

"Did you continue to look through the albums last night?" Remus asked, using the one of the few methods he had found successful for breaking the silence. Theodore stopped still in mid-bite and looked up at his uncle, pale blue eyes unblinking.

"Yes," he said finally, "for a while after you left. I... I thought about what you had said. About my mother and the day . . . your family was attacked."

Theodore paused here, as if expecting Remus to comment. The older wizard, however, remained silent; his face expressionless.

"At hospital," the young Slytherin continued timorously, "they told me that my mother had been reported missing. By you. And you said you hadn't seen her since some of the Dark Lord's followers attacked your house. And, my father is . . . is one of the Dark Lord's followers."

Saying all this seemed to take a lot out of Theodore. After he had finished speaking, the boy's shoulders slumped and he chewed his lip nervously. Remus also noticed that his nephew's fingers seemed to twitch at the ends of his sleeves and he reasoned that if they weren't frayed yet, they soon would be.

"That's true," said Remus evenly. "What do you think of all that?"  
  
"What do I think? I don't know what to think. I know what _you_ want me to think," he added snappishly and narrowed his eyes at Remus. "You want me to think my father was some horrible fiend who kidnaped my mother after killing her parents. Well, I don't... I don't know what to think." Theodore's voice fell with those last words, any vestiges of anger forgotten and replaced by sadness. "I just "  
  
Theodore's words stopped abruptly and the boy jumped in his seat as a loud crash sounded from the floor above. Remus too was startled by the noise, but relaxed immediately as he recognized the cursing voice which followed. Tonks had apparently decided to visit, unannounced as always. Likely she had knocked over the umbrella stand again too. Sighing, Remus rose to greet his friend.  
  
Lupin found the young Auror in the foyer, jumping up and down on one booted foot as she held the apparently injured other one. When she noticed Remus, Tonks stopped hopping and grinned widely.  
  
"Wotcher, Lupin!" she said brightly. "Just thought I'd drop by and see how you were. Sorry about the bloody umbrella stand."  
  
"It's all right. I really should get rid of it. In addition to being a health hazard for apparating witches, it's also hideous. God only knows where Sirius's parents got it," he eyed the offending umbrella stand disgustedly. 

"My mum might know," Tonks added thoughtfully. "But I didn't drop by to talk about my relatives' furniture. I heard your nephew arrived last night and wanted to see how you were getting on. Where is the kid?"  
  
Bugger, thought Remus. He'd left Theodore seconds ago without any explanation to the crash they had heard. He hurriedly explained this to Tonks and quickly returned to the kitchen where they found the young Slytherin still seated at the table, looking frightened by the now-green- haired witch.  
  
"Theodore," began Remus as he caught his breath. "This is my friend, Nymphadora Tonks." Tonks beamed and waved excitedly at Theodore, who eyed her warily. "She's come by for a visit."  
  
Theodore made no move to greet Tonks, but she didn't seem to mind his rudeness. Instead she took one look at the table and exclaimed, "You have food, Lupin! And here I ate a disgusting Ministry lunch, thinking your cupboards would be bare as usual."  
  
"Sorry," said Lupin sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, well you owe me a lunch old man. Can you imagine," she said to Theodore, "last time I was here he fed me plain toast for a meal?! And tea without sugar or anything! Some host he is."  
  
Theodore looked rather startled at being addressed and didn't respond, but raised an eyebrow at the Auror, making her laugh.  
  
"I didn't know one was obligated by manners to feed any witch who showed up on one's doorstep," Remus said wryly.  
  
"Well, you've terrible manners, Lupin," Tonks replied, smiling at him coyly.  
  
"So, Theo," she continued amicably, "do you think you're doing all right here with your uncle?"  
  
Theodore, looking perturbed by her use of that nick name, didn't speak; only nodded characteristically.  
  
"That's good," said Tonks congenially. "I just wanted to make sure Lupin was taking good care of you. You need to watch out for him, you know. He might try to poison you with his cooking. And if he gets into professor-mode and starts lecturing about the various ways one gets rid of chizpurfles just back away slowly and leave the room. If you don't he might bore you to death." She said this all with such seriousness (and a dramatic shudder added at the end), Remus wondered if Tonks might not be better employed as an actress.  
  
Theodore, however, did not appear amused by her performance. In fact, the boy's expression seemed to suggest that he thought Tonks would be better employed as a mental patient.  
  
"Theodore and I are fine, Tonks," said Remus. "Thanks for your concern, though. We appreciate it."  
  
"Oh, that reminds me, Lupin! I've got to talk to you about something in private."  
  
Just how Remus's last statement reminded Tonks of clandestine conversations, Remus had no idea. It was likely to remain a mystery forever, because the look on his friend's face told Lupin that whatever she had to tell him, it was important.  
  
"All right," he replied. "Let's go to the study. You can stay here and finish lunch, Theodore. We won't be very long."  
  
It was short trip from the kitchen to the library in Grimmauld Place, but the pair made it in record time; thier anxiety quickening their steps rather than any actual urgency.  
  
"What's up?" asked Remus when after he locked the door and cast a silencing charm around the room.  
  
"It's pretty serious," said Tonks, her face hardened. "The Order's got information that You-Know-Who has an attack planned for tonight in Hogsmeade. Apparently, he wants to take advantage of the chaos in the Ministry right now. They've only got two Aurors guarding the town and it's a soft target. Dumbledore's ordered the Order to be there in full force. You're needed there from seven till midnight. They don't know the exact time You-Know-Who plans to go in, so Dumbledore's had people patrolling the streets inconspicuously all day."  
  
"Damn," Remus muttered as he drew his fingers through his hair, thinking of the consequences such an attack would have on the heart of Wizarding Britain. "You'd think Voldemort would wait a bit longer after the battle at the Department of Mysteries, wouldn't you? At least until he freed some of his Death Eaters."  
  
"Hmm. Maybe. But those captured Death Eaters are heavily guarded right now the ICW's taken control of watching Azkaban. A battle there would be larger than attacking an unguarded Hogsmeade."  
  
"That makes sense. So seven to midnight for me?"  
  
"Right, unless you're contacted before then. If so, apparate to Hogsmeade immediately."  
  
"Of course. Am I supposed to meet anyone there?"  
  
"Crockford, Diggle, Jones, Vance and Bill Weasley are patrolling at the same time you are, so I suppose you could arrange something with one of them. Moody's planning to sniff around the town all day, but I doubt you'll see much of him. Probably hiding out in a rubbish bin or something. But you're not supposed to draw attention, we don't want to tip the Death Eaters off that we know what they're up to."  
  
"Wouldn't that be a good thing, though? I mean, they probably wouldn't attack then, would they?"  
  
"Yes, but it also might give away our spy, which would be worse than any attack."  
  
Remus had to hand it to Tonks, she was very knowledgeable about the situation. He knew her analysis was her own, not something she had head from someone else. Remus could fight Dark Wizards, that was true, but his real calling was teaching: something he did with passion and expertise. Fighting Dark Wizards was what Nymphadora Tonks was born for. She'll go far as an Auror, Remus mused. If she survives this war, said a nasty little voice in the back of his, which he silenced immediately.  
  
With no more to say, Tonks made to leave the room when a thought suddenly struck Remus.  
  
"Wait," he said quickly and Tonks turned around looking puzzled at his exclamation. "What should I do with Theodore?"  
  
AN: The ICW, for those who don't recall this tidbit, is the International Confederation of Wizards (mentioned in OotP). I'm using it as sort of a UN in this fic; running a few things in Britain after the whole we-will-not- acknowledge-Lord-Thingy scandal.  
  
Chizpurfles are an invention of JKR's, a magical pest. If you want some more info, go to   
  
Characters mentioned as being in the Order of the Phoenix are also bit characters of JKR.  
  
REVIEWER (aka: people who are awesome) RESPONSES:  
  
**Lucidity**: I'm glad you like Theodore. He's kind of difficult to develop, b/c he's essentially an original character and everything's from Remus's POV. I kind of want to do a chapter from Theo's POV, just so the readers can get a better idea of my ideas for him.  
  
**Distant34**: Thanks big time for your compliments! Oddly, your review put me in mind of how I picture Grimmauld Place. I never see any windows when I think of the house's bedrooms, even when I read OotP. I know they must be there, but for some reason my Grimmauld Place is windowless. Maybe it adds to the grimness...  
  
**Neoma**: Remus doesn't want Theo to become a death eater, either ;)!  
  
**Moony Lover**: Unfortunately for him, Harry is stuck at the Dursleys (remember, it's only been a couple of days since the term ended, so he's got to stay there for a bit yet). I hope you've enjoyed Tonks and Theo in this chapter, though it was a bit more serious.

**Alice Dodgson**: Glad your teeth are still intact ;). As for Theo talking more candidly about his mother to Remus, I don't know just yet. I tried to show in this chapter about how Theo doesn't trust Remus enough to talk about that. As I said above, I want to do something from Theo's POV, just to try and convey some of his emotions and thoughts. He's a very reticent character, so it's hard for both readers and Remus to know what's going on with him.  
  
Thanks all of you for your comments and compliments!!! And please, those of you who've read this, Review!!!


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